Macbeth- April 24th

In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth pressured her husband into allowing the murder of the King to happen. She had gone about this by downright insulting Macbeth and calling him a coward, and as a result of her taunting he agreed to act like there was no foul play. This is peer pressure in it's finest.

Well I have never personally encountered anything quite so dramatic to pressure me into something, I have encountered minor things. Although, as a whole, I haven't been pressured to do to much. However, one moment I can think of is back in my Freshman year of High school when every last one of my friends was attending school with me.

It was near the end of the school year when this happened. The semester before, a lot of my Senior friends and myself had the class period right after lunch off, and during that time we would sit in the lunch room and play multi player games on our DSes which we all owned. That second semester I had a class but most of them still didn't and every day they would bug me to skip class and play games with them. I never did however, until near the end of the school year. On that day I decided, "Meh, what the heck" and skipped class since, after all it was one of the last opportunities to hang out with then as fellow classmates. I did feel bad for skipping afterwords.

Final

How does Digital Literacy play a part in your future?

Today is very different from yesterday. And not just today, this current generation of students is very different from the last one. Why would that be though? Technology. It's very simple, and extremely obvious. Many of the older Adults and especially the elderly are simply baffled by all there is today compared to when they where our age. That saying that you always hear your grandparent sighing, "you kids and your technology" is an understatement. As answered by Walter, puppet from famous Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham to the question 'What was your favorite toy as a kid',

"Dirt. And we where happy!"

Although this is an exaggeration, it is defiantly true that the current old population and new populations are like two different words.

For me, I realize that Digital Literacy is extremely important. As such, I am happy that I learned back in 7th grade how to type without looking at the keyboard at a fast speed from a class that was especially to teach students how to type. I spend just as much time on a Computer as I do Video Games, and that's where I virtually spend nearly all of my time, literally. Ask me to define a complicated word for you, I can do it in less than a minute on Google, and not by searching through a dictionary, online or not, I just 'search' Define: Word here and boom! You can find as many as 15 different definitions on a special "Define" page. Need directions? I can map quest it faster than you can pull out your atlas. Not near a computer? No problem! I have a cell phone, and those have Internet and, although I'm not paying for Internet I can still find out by texting Google, for free too. Oh! Did you know you could do that? The number spells out Google. As stated above, I seem to know quite a bit. However, I actually still have a lot to learn. I can safely admit that the way I operate on a computer, although rather efficient, is not efficient enough and I know some of my knowledge is already probably outdated.

All of my current knowledge will play a very important part in my future. It already plays a big part, however I know that as time goes on technology will become a ever increasing part of normal day-to-day life. More technologies are out today than yesterday, and more will definitly come out. In less than 10 years we've went from a slow dial-up connection where you couldnt be on the phone and internet at the same time, to having internet on your phones. With a computer nearby, we have access to extremly vast ammounts of information. It is also ever aparent on how the world is changing from some recent events.

Very recently, The Rocky Mountain Newspaper went out of busness. The reason for this is that not enough people where buying their newspapers. Why would this be? Because of the Internet. Rather than going out and buying a newspaper, people can stay at home and look up the news for free at home, not just from Google but from the 'Rocky Mountain News' website as well! Thousand of people have lost their jobs, and because of the Internet. I beleave it is very apparent that the internet is holding a big impact on how life is today.

As such, it is possible that even more newspapers will go out of busness. So if I ever need to see what was going on today, or what the scores where in the Football game last night, what movies are playing, what job I need, and everything else in the newspaper, I need to be able to look this information up on the internet. As such I'll need to be able to tell fraud information from true information. I'll need to be able to send emails, although currently doing so is like breathing air. I might even need to learn how to shop online, which I do.

And not just this, there are many many things that will change as time goies on. It's possible that maybe the post office will go out of busness, even more newspapers and soon the whole world will be digital. So no matter how anyone looks at it, Digital Literacy is extrely, extrelmly, EXTREMLY important for me to know.


http://pre2005.flexiblelearning.net.au/projects/resources/Digital_Natives_Digital_Immigrants.pdf
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/27/goodbye-colorado/

Art Critique

For my Art Critique I have chosen an oil painting that is called 'Midsummer's Eve' by Edward Hughes. I found this painting though online Research, and the painting can be viewed from the following link: http://www.ginevra2000.it/fantasy1/Art/Fairy_Art/Midsummers_Eve.jpg . This painting has a very smooth feel to it, and has a very nice soft coloring of the two dominating colors of green and yellow with small amounts of pink, blue and white. I especially love the detail put into the Lady's skin and hair which makes her almost life like. I am very impressed with the glow coming from the surrounding child-like dwarfs. The only thing that doesn't seem to completely fit, to me, is the background which doesn't have as much realistic brilliance as the lady. But no matter, this painting is very very lovely and has a nice 'fairy tale' feel to it.

Media Bias

Bias in media is a very common thing. Matched with 2.a which states that media suited for specific purposes and audiences, some reporters can alter their media to suit their purpose of getting their audiences to view a specific topic in the same way as their own views.

However, a good way to prevent bias media would be, like in 2.e would be to listen to their viewers feedback, especially if their are any complaints of 'bias reporting' and then revise and edit their work to make it sound less bias.

Another wonderful way to reduce Media Bias would be from 2.g; using skillful language using a varied accurate vocabulary. Vocabulary can play a big part in the of a piece of work that a reporter creates. The writer needs to be aware of their vocabulary and choose carefully the wording chosen because it can change a 'good' paper to a 'wonderful' paper.

Graduation Speech

First and foremost, I'd like to welcome all the people that are here tonight. To thank all the family, friends, teachers, and fellow classmates who are here to share in this momentous occasion. Tonight is for us, for You.

Although I have not been at this school very long, although most of the people in this room probably have no idea who I am, I'm here. And I have to thank all the teachers from this school, the teachers from my old school past who have guided me along the path to Graduation, and to the path to McLain. McLain 's such an amazing school, not to mention a life saver. If it wasn't for this school, for the Jeffco Net program that I was able to join, I don't know what I would have done with my life, I don't know how I would have finished my education. I came here back in December of 2008, looking for a different way to finish my education. I needed to find a more flexible schedule because I have sleeping problems and my old school wouldn't allow me to finish my education there because of constant absences and tardies.

I came here, and started my classes back in January, excited that I can do my school work when I want, at home, and at a time that is convenient to me. I only had to come to school on Fridays, I could do that. Very fair deal. And although I only came in on Fridays, I could tell that this school was different. The teachers where more one-on-one, and gave equal attention to all the teens in the classes. It has a different feel than the traditional schooling I attended in my 11 years, and its' nice. In the end, my overall GPA increased, and I believe it's because of the way this school runs. My only regret is that I was here for such a short time. Well no...one other regret; I should have came here sooner. I have learned more from this school than I have at my old school, no competition. And here I am graduating, not in the blue gown that would have been, but in the black gown that is.

Story time aside though, the point I'm trying to get at is, as said by Walt Disney, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." I found McLain and saved my education, you guys all found McLain too, and here you are. In the same black gown, graduating. Moving on. We're done! We've made it, even against all those people saying 'we cant'. We've made this dream come true, we can check it off the list of things to do. And focus on our next dream, our life and make those dreams come true too.

So, Congratulations Class of 2009

This I Believe

The essay that is called 'This I Believe' is very interesting type of essay that will require many different strategies for writing to be a successful essay. Some of the important aspects required are included in the packet that was given to us at the beginning of the course.

Even just the first 'Prioritized benchmark' called 1.a could be extremely helpful in writing this, and many other essays. Considering that this essay is suppose to derive from a belief of the writer, making connections is very important for the writer as well as the reader. 1.b can be extremely helpful with metaphors and figurative language, even irony could be very helpful. Another helpful thing, especially for this essay is 2.a with the format which is extremely important, especially considering that this essay is something that is also used as a contest on a website. It may also be helpful to collaborate with some classmates in writing this essay because, there is a chance that it could be read, and posted online for the general public to see if the essay meets the expataions for the people who select the essays to be read.

Going along with 2.b, the last one mentioned above, 2.e is also important; receiving feedback from peers can always improve writing. Coming up with a strategy in 2.f for the writing is also extremely important. It's also always good to use skillful language that matches the sentence like in 2.g. A varied and accurate vocabulary can really impress a lot of people as well as jazz up the writing.

However, I do not believe interchanging between informal and formal writings from 3.a would benefit to much. Analyzing texts like 4.b can help generalize the writing and conclusions and summarizing ideas is very important (4.c). But something extremely useful is critiquing as mentioned in 4.f. Critiquing can help a writer see a mistake they have made, and can help make a paper better overall. Plagiarism is also important, to not do. Be sure to get rid of all types of plagiarism that may be in the paper, like said in 5.b

Introduction:

Out of this course, I expect to learn more about world literature; to learn about how the major different countries literature functions differently from our own. I expect to learn to identify the different types of literature and how they differ from each other as well as why that country's literature is the way it is. I expect to encounter a variety of different types of literature, both alike and possibly different from what I consider the norm. Also, to learn the 'classical' types of literature of the world.



I would like to learn to identify the different types of literature of the world and to understand them. I would like to read literature from all the major nations of the world such as Europe, and Asia. I would like to learn different forms of literature there are, and how to make them myself, perhaps. I would like to be able to identify the different major Authors of the world, as well as important books and other types of literature.



My strengths in English is my fairly decent vocabulary. For the longest time I've never had to truly study vocabulary for vocab. tests to hard to hard to get a A or B. I'd consider it only just above average though. I consider myself fairly decent in linking sentences so all my words form smoothly and not choppy and short. Another thing I consider a strength of mine in English is my ability to keep writing once I get started. However stopping, for even a short while, can slow my 're-start-up' time.

As said above, if I stop to take a break from a specific writing assignment, or any assignment, slows down my thinking process because I have to stop for writing which breaks my focus. If my focus is ever broken, it generally leads me to go off into 'la la land' and it becomes hard for me to get re-focused. However, taking a break isn't the worst way for me to loose focus. The one way that I'll loose focus and not be able to get back onto my assignment with the same patience is if someone starts talking, specifically if its some random gibberish that has nothing to do with the class that doesn't stop. And, it's not that I'm paying attention to the conversation but that the white noise breaks my concentration.



What are your strengths in English? Explain these questions using and attaching prior work you are proud of . What are your weaknesses? explain and provide proof again. All of these question should be their own paragraph with enough meat in the writing - 5-8 sentences per paragraph.

All of these question should be their own paragraph with enough meat in the writing - 5-8 sentences per paragraph.